There are many activities, such as trips to the beach, outings to parks or other outdoor venues, and attendance at or participation in sporting events, that require an individual to bring specialized equipment to and from remote locations. These same activities also often present situations in which individuals may become wet and may involve locations in which individuals would desire a mat or other item upon which to rest.
Trips to the beach, for example, often involve the use and transport of sunscreen, towels, picnic supplies, and assorted water toys and floats. While at the beach, many individuals will get wet by venturing into adjacent water for a swim or simply to cool off. Some individuals enjoy sleeping or reclining while at the beach and will bring a blanket or mat on which to relax without becoming sandy. During a trip home from the beach, individuals are often wet, sandy, or both and many who travel by automobile will sit on a towel in an attempt to protect the underlying seat. As a result, trips to the beach often require a bag to transport needed items, a blanket on which to rest, and several towels for drying purposes and for use as protective seat covers.
Outings to parks and other outdoor venues present equipment requirements, as well. For example, many individuals will bring reading material or picnic supplies to these locations. Some individuals will choose to enjoy nature by sitting or napping under shady trees or in a field. Still others will listen to a concert or watch a play. These activities often lend themselves to resting upon a blanket or mat spread out to protect individuals from unwanted contact with dew or dirt commonly encountered in outdoor settings. On warm days, this type of outing may make some individuals sweaty, inviting the use of a towel or other barrier to prevent damage to an underlying automobile seat during travel home.
Attending or participating in sporting events also presents logistical hurdles. Personal participation in sporting events requires, in most cases, transportation of specialized equipment, such as bats, balls, gloves, pads, or helmets. Even many spectator sports involve the use of equipment, including binoculars, seat cushions, mats on which to rest, and various spirit-promoting paraphernalia. Some events, such as swim events will, almost by definition, require participants to become wet. Other events will make participants sweaty from exertion. Even spectator events can make many individuals sweaty from heat on warms days. As a result, sporting event participants and spectators will often use a bag to transport equipment to and from the event and will, in many cases, require several towels for drying purposes and for use as barriers to protect underlying car seats during drives home from the event.
Several devices exist to help meet the needs of individuals who pursue these types of activities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,556, for example, discloses a multipurpose beach towel, tote bag, and chair cover device. The '556 device is convertible between a beach towel, a tote bag, a deck chair cover, and an automobile seat cover. However, although this device may be suitable for some situations, the tote bag formed has a relatively fixed size and is not readily modifiable to accommodate large or bulky items. Additionally, although the '556 device may be used as a deck chair cover or as a cover for some automobiles, the '556 device does not include provisions for easy size adjustment and securement to oversized or small seats.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,199 discloses a combination backpack and chair cover. The '199 device includes a collection of strategically hinged panels and interlocks that allow the device to alternately adopt an open, seat-covering orientation and a closed, backpack-forming orientation. The '199 device may be suitable for some situations, but the backpack orientation provided thereby has a fixed size and shape, making it unsuitable for use with large or bulky items. Additionally, although the '199 device is useful for covering some slatted chairs, the '199 device is not readily securable to automobile seats.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,094 discloses an expandable terry cloth sand or lawn chair cover having integrated pockets. The '094 device will cover several types of chairs and includes pockets to hold small items. However, the '094 device will not hold large or bulky items and does not convert to a bag that may be used to export items to and from remote locations.
Thus, what is needed is an adjustably-sized, convertible bag or backpack and protective barrier device that includes advantages of the known devices, while addressing the shortcomings they exhibit. The device should allow an individual to bring a large number of items to and from remote locations, enable individuals to relax on damp or sandy surfaces without getting wet, and provide an absorbent, moisture-repellent barrier that protects automobile seats during travel. The device should provide an adjustably-sized main interior compartment that allows the device to accommodate large or elongated items, if needed. The device should provide interchangeable groups of component pouches or pockets into which various groups of related items may be inserted for simultaneous attachment or removal. The device should also include a rolled section into which delicate items may be placed and protected during transit. The device should also include provisions to allow adjustable, secure attachment to seats having a variety of sizes.